A vibrotactile bracelet to improve the navigation of older adults in large and crowded environments

The decline of the cognitive abilities related to age usually determines a gradual withdrawal of older adults within the domestic walls. Part of the problem is the difficulty in navigating in large and crowded environments that may be perceived as intimidating. To alleviate this problem, we propose a vibrotactile device which can be used along with a walking assistant endowed with autonomous sensing and active brakes able to guide the user. In this paper, we address the problem of guiding the user with a minimal impact on his/her freedom of motion. We propose a solution based on the use of vibrotactile feedback to display directional cues. Psychophysical tests performed on a group of older adults show the effectiveness of the proposed vibrotactile strategy for the navigation of elderly people.